


if you never held me under, if you never heard my thunder.

by runandremember



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy X
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-23 01:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/920174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runandremember/pseuds/runandremember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They are a challenge."</p>
            </blockquote>





	if you never held me under, if you never heard my thunder.

**Author's Note:**

> One morning it was just there in my head, sorry. I immediately started to write it down but miraculously it took me forever and till now to finish it. I'm forever loving these two, i hate this game for dropping all those stupid hints and yeah. That's all, I guess.

They are a challenge.

\---

In the mornings, she challenges him.   
In the back of his mind, he notices some of the cool morning sun drip through the gap his tent gets opened and a small frame slip in.Then something nudges at his side and her voice whispers a soft "Get up."

He considers grumbling something, but decides on just turning around to lay on his stomach still not opening his eyes.

"Come on and get up. You'll miss breakfast!"

No reaction.

"I know you're awake and listening, old man. Might as well get up."

He can practically hear the smile in her voice and finally cracks open one eye to look up to her face.

"Good morning."

Her answering smile is maybe a bit less broad and a bit more smug than he imagined, but it still does the job only she manages.   
Who would've thought all it needs to make his mornings just a little bit brighter is a cheerful and utterly terrible-morning-person-y Al Bhed girl.   
Certainly not him.

"Got you some tea."

Spotting the cup she is wrapping her hands around he groans in thanks causing her to chuckle. Careful not to drop anything she puts it down next to him and gets up to her feet again.

"Hurry up, then. I'm afraid I wasn't joking with breakfast."

He raises a sarcastic eyebrow at her.

"What?" She laughs, "Tidus might actually be serious and leave nothing left for you. See you later."

One last time, she smiles down at him, then turns around and slips out of the tent again, leaving him to properly get up and dress.

\---

They kinda expect thunder and lightning to rain down on them as soon as they leave Guadosalam and reach the Thunder Plains.   
It really wasn't surprising to set foot on the hard grounds, hear thunder crashing down only a few foots near and to be blinded by huge amounts of lightning all around.

They all were kind of mentally prepared for what was to come because what is a bit of a thunderstorm when one is to fight Sin. 

Except for her.

She almost wraps herself round Tidus legs and if Auron is honest with himself, he'd loved to see him fall over. 

They settle for taking a short break in an inn they discover and he already feels like they are wasting precious time again. As if she'd feel better if she stood still for a few minutes or hours.  
He tries keeping himself busy, sharpening swords and all that, but it just drags on his nerves after some time.   
She'd never move if he didn't do something soon. Tucking his tools away, he huffs in annoyance.

Finally, she seems to get herself together, gets in front of the group and mumbles "It's not stopping, is it?"

He almost snorts in his answer. "Don't tell me you thought it would."

She looks like she is just about to answer when another thunderclasp forces her to duck down again. This time, he actually does snort. 

"Fine. Stay here then.", he grumbles and makes his move to leave.

Just out of the door, he hears her cry out in helpless frustration. "Alright, already!", as she follows them out the inn.

"But!", she throws in as she tries to keep up with his longer strides and he doesn't answer. "You didn't have to say it like that, you know! You could be more-- comforting... or, or something! You know, … try to cheer me up?"

They've come to a stop to wait for Yuna and the others a bit away from them.

„You just don't get me at all, do you?!“

Auron glances down at her and raises one single eyebrow, but says nothing. Just lets her nag on and on, she is so into her own headspace, she doesn't even recognize the man running by to take a photo of the summoner and the others and then run off again.

"HEY! Are you even listening?!" She is at full shouting now before she gets silenced by another thunderclap yet again.

"I'm not scared! I'm not scared, you hear?!"

He is sure she isn't shouting at him now anymore, head held up high to the sky.  
And he can't keep from smiling a little because there she is, not scared, standing her ground and so brave. 

 

\---

 

Once, she got a real proper smack on the head by one of those stupid Bunyips and falls down in battle. 

Yuna immediately rushes to her side and sees for her, but he gets so furious. He doesn't even think about whether she'll be okay again because she will be. 

She needs to be.

In the following seconds he has taken out that damn Bunyip, as well as the three other ones also coming to take part in battle.   
Standing in the middle of a swarm of pyreflies, he even is surprised of his strength himself.

"Ow..." 

Her weak voice makes him almost flinch.   
Panting he turns around to the rest of the party and sees her already gaining consciousness again. Yuna seems to be really learning fast. Good for them.

As soon as the Summoner is sure the friend in her arms is getting better again, she looks up and her eyes grow wide. 

"Did you- are they all gone already?"

The others just stare at him in stunned silence.

"No time to waste. Let's go."

She watches him, a weak smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, before she nods determinedly and manages to get up to her feet again.   
As he shoulders the heavy blade again and marches off, he barely catches a glimpse of it.

\---

 

After they beat Lady Yunalesca and kind of defeated the chance for a Final Aeon or the High Summoning, it doesn't take long for Tidus to finally convince the group to take an evening off.

At first, Auron thinks Yuna might have just said okay because it was Tidus that asked. Or more like asked a million times over so that everyone was kind of seconds away from smacking his head in.  
But they really needed time to think on how to challenge Sin and hopefully, destroy it forever.

Apparently, "thinking" turns out to be a stuffed pub in the inner city of Luca.   
Who would've thought.

The people are quite nice and barely any comments about traitors or filthy Al Bheds get made. Or maybe they just don't care for as long as they pay with enough Gil.

He begins to wonder if there even is any thinking getting done tonight, as Wakka and Tidus suddenly begin contemplating whether to start a drinking contest.  
Yuna joins in with surprisingly no second thoughts. Lulu just rolls her eyes at them but decides it might be best to keep a close eye at the whole situation.

"Hey, Kimahri! Sir Auron!"

"I think, it's best we stay out of it tonight", he grumbles and the Ronso next to him gives an affirmative nod.  
"Kimahri watch over Yuna."

It isn't for later when he realizes he didn't hear a word from Rikku over the obligatory full-pub-noises and she might not even be allowed to drink that yet and how did she even get that?  
As he catches her eyes to see if she's okay so far that minx winks cheekily at him, then looks away and laughs at Wakka who just splashed a bit of his drink over Lulu's lap.  
Briefly, he decides against saying something or trying to stop her, because one: He isn't the one to patronize her, he let her be a guardian and risk her life everyday, after all. Two: She might get even more determined to do the opposite of what he's saying, just because. And three: She'll see for herself in the morning.

It isn't for much later, when he truly realizes what she's been doing.  
She isn't just playing along with the others, she was also silently having a challenge against him, without him even knowing it. And he thought she was just casting looks at him to see if he was going to do something yet, not also order everything he drank for herself.

"Rikku."  
He stands behind her and her head snaps back to look up at him. Everyone else falls silent and watches the scene play out.

„Huh?“

"We're going home."

She sighs. "Y'a know my Home doesn't exist anymore, old man, ya?"

"That's not what I meant. We're going back to the inn."

Tidus wolfwhistles and earns a confused look by the Al Bhed, but Auron merely rolls his eye at him.

"But I wanna stay here."

He huffs. "Fine. You... win you- our game. You beat me."

Confused glances again, but nobody dares to say anything. The Al Bhed breaks out in smiles.

"Oh! You actually noticed! What's my prize?"

"I... don't know yet." And there he thought he was overchallenged by her normal behaviour.

"Okay. I'll come up with something for you! Gonna go now, mh."

Heading for the door he eventually notices she's not following, resting her head on the desk they've been sitting on.

"Auron?", she says after a while.

„What is it.“

„Can my- can my prize be for you to carry me to the inn?“

He just stares at her.

"Really, please? I just tried to and I- don't think I can walk that far right now."

Yuna giggles lightly at that.

"... as you wish."  
Her answering beam is almost breathtaking and he sighs, trying to ignore the stares of the others while scooping her tiny frame up in his arms.

"See you tomorrow then!", Wakka calls after the group gets themselves together again.  
Lulu nods her thanks as he leaves the now almost empty pub.

The dim morning light gives the abandoned streets a soft colour while he carries her all the way back to the inn in silence.   
And if every ten steps she snuggles just a bit closer, he pretends not to notice.

\---

They are a challenge. 

He doesn't even know whether this is a good or a bad thing. All he knows is that it's become kind of an habit, their little „Dare me“s and „You wouldn't“s. It's like an ongoing game between them.  
They never talked about rules or actually starting because they don't need to, it's more like a silent agreement. He likes that, silence. She doesn't. 

They're almost complete polar opposites. Maybe that's what makes it so interesting, challenging.  
Seeing how far they can push each other, before they break or retreat. Before she yells in frustration and kicks something, or sometimes even him, or flops down on the ground. Before he sees tears spring into her eyes and he just can't do it anymore. Before they get too close and one of them backs away.

They're a challenge and he isn't entirely sure why they are. But he certainly doesn't want it to stop.


End file.
